Head of Group Exercise Product

• Our purpose is to change people’s lives for the better through wellness.
• We create inclusive spaces and experiences that support physical, mental and social wellbeing, helping members build lasting progress and a sense of community.
• Our Group Exercise experiences support physical, mental and social wellbeing through refreshing real experiences, holistic wellness, curated guidance and progress, and communities without conformity.
• Lead the Group Exercise (GEX) portfolio across Virgin Active South Africa, translating the Director’s product and commercial priorities into a compelling national offering and consistent delivery across clubs. Grow member participation, connection and lasting wellness habits while improving studio utilisation and commercial performance.
• Accountable for the GEX roadmap, product standards, approved budget and functional team performance. Lead Exercise to Music (ETM) directly and unite genre specialists and regional leaders around shared outcomes, working with Operations to embed delivery in clubs.

Product Strategy and portfolio development

• Develop the national GEX strategy and annual roadmap for approval by the Director, aligned with Group direction, local member needs and business priorities.
• Define the role of each genre and format across club types. Use member insight, demand and performance data to recommend where to invest, expand, improve or discontinue offerings.
• Partner with Global Heads of Group Exercise and local genre leaders to adapt proven concepts and deliver a coordinated launch calendar.

Commercial and financial performance

• Prepare and manage GEX budgets and forecasts with Finance, including instructor costs, licence fees and programme expenditure. Address variances and deliver agreed financial outcomes.
• Improve attendance, member penetration, class occupancy and studio utilisation through evidence-based timetable and capacity decisions with Operations.
• Develop business cases for premium or paid formats, partnerships and studio repurposing. Assess demand, pricing, cost and expected returns before seeking approval.
• Report portfolio results, forecasts, risks and corrective actions to the Director, including evidence of GEX’s contribution to engagement and retention.

Member experience and operational delivery

• Set national standards for class experience, programming, timetables and instructor delivery, with appropriate flexibility for local demand and club capacity.
• Partner with Product Operations, regional Operations and club leaders to embed standards, resolve delivery gaps and sustain reliable class availability.
• Use member feedback, class NPS or agreed experience measures, complaints and participation data to prioritise improvements and build inclusive class communities.
• Work with Marketing and Digital teams to improve class discovery, bookings, launch communications and participation campaigns.

Instructor capability and quality

• Set the national instructor recruitment, onboarding, assessment and development framework with HR, Learning and Development, genre specialists and Operations.
• Build a strong instructor pipeline, succession plans and recognition practices. Coach leaders to improve teaching quality, member connection and consistency.
• Recommend competitive, fair and consistently applied instructor rate frameworks with HR and Finance, operating within approved budgets and remuneration governance.
• Oversee quality reviews and corrective action. Ensure relevant qualifications, safe practice, licence requirements and applicable policies are reflected in product standards and delivery.

Exercise to Music leadership

• Lead the ETM portfolio directly, setting concept direction, delivery standards and development priorities through the Regional ETM Leads.
• Refresh concepts and coordinate instructor readiness, training and quality assurance for ETM launches.
• Prioritise improvements in Cycle and Boxing, using participation, member feedback and studio utilisation to measure progress.

Innovation and launch delivery

• Manage GEX initiatives from concept and pilot to rollout, with clear owners, milestones, training requirements and measures of success.
• Evaluate pilots against approved business cases and recommend whether to scale, refine or stop. Coordinate studio and equipment requirements with the relevant teams.

Leadership and accountability

• Lead and develop genre heads and regional GEX leaders, with clear objectives, performance reviews and accountability for national and regional outcomes.
• Align specialist and regional teams around one GEX roadmap, share effective practice and remove duplication or delivery barriers.

We can’t live without…

• At least seven (7) years of leadership experience in fitness, wellness or lifestyle industries, with evidence of leading teams and delivering results across multiple locations.
• Deep understanding of group exercise formats, instructor development, class programming, timetable design and studio operations.
• A record of improving participation, member experience and commercial outcomes through effective product and operational execution.
• Strong financial and analytical capability, including budgeting, forecasting, cost management and business case development.
• Ability to lead specialist and regional teams, influence stakeholders and deliver change across a club network.
• An Exercise to Music background as an experienced instructor, presenter or master trainer, supported by a recognised group exercise or ETM qualification (advantageous)
• Experience developing digital fitness models, paid formats or broader wellness propositions (advantageous)

Core Interpersonal Skills:

• Emotional Intelligence
• Active Listening
• Cultural Awareness and Fluency
• Empathy

Operational & leadership Skills Required:

• Attention to Detail
• Resilience and Composure
• Problem solving and conflict resolution
• Adaptability
• Relatability
• Situational Awareness
• Curiosity
• Time Management
• Digital Fluency